San Basilio agli Orti Sallustiani, Baroque church in Trevi district, Rome, Italy.
San Basilio agli Orti Sallustiani is a baroque church on Via San Basilio near Piazza Barberini, in the Trevi district of Rome. Its interior follows the Byzantine layout: a wooden iconostasis separates the nave from the sanctuary, and a lectern-style ciborium stands over the altar, both decorated with paintings. Greek and Slavic icons hang in the sanctuary and along the nave walls, and a wrought-iron gate divides the nave from the narthex.
The church was built by Apollinare Agresta, abbot general of the Italian Basilian Order, whose coat of arms appears on its arches and a marble plaque inside records the foundation. Basilian monks of Grottaferrata restored it in 1682, as the inscription over the main entrance states. It closed at the start of the 21st century and reopened in 2017 as the Collegio San Basilio for Melkite Greek Catholic students.
The church maintains a link to Byzantine traditions through its use of the Eastern rite in worship services. This practice is kept alive by the local community and sets it apart from other churches in the neighborhood.
The church closed at the start of the 21st century and is not regularly open; the adjoining Collegio San Basilio, run by the Melkite Basilian Order of the Holy Saviour, opened in 2017 as a residence for Melkite Greek Catholic students. Access is tied to the college rather than to a parish schedule, so check before going.
Inside the church are inscriptions that commemorate monks and priests from the Basilian order, including a memory of Cardinal Basilios Bessarion from the 15th century. These memorials connect the building to a broader history of Byzantine learning in Europe.
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